Chicago Bears legend Devin Hester has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where the 2024 class will be celebrated with an enshrinement ceremony on Aug. 3, in Canton, Ohio.
Ahead of the enshrinement ceremony, Hester was gifted his Gold Jacket that comes with his induction among football’s immortals. The Hall of Fame shared a video of Hester opening his Gold Jacket with his family gathered around him.
Such a special moment to share with his kids: @D_Hest23 opened his Gold Jacket created by @HaggarCo with his family. #pfhof24 pic.twitter.com/cfNsGF9a9B
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) July 15, 2024
For Hester, it’s a moment years in the making. Many believed that Hester, considered the greatest return specialist of all time, should’ve been a first ballot Hall of Famer. But after waiting two years, he’s finally taken his place among the NFL’s greatest.
“This is a wild dream that I never imagined,” Hester said, via the Sun-Times. “This is bigger than everything. This is not only a dream, but this is something that I felt as a kid was impossible. That was just too much out of the picture. It’s like hitting the lotto.”
Hester, a three-time first-team All Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, forever changed the game as a return specialist. He has more punt returns than anyone in NFL history with 14, his 20 total non-offensive touchdowns are also the most in league history, and he has the highest average yards per punt return among those with at least 300 returns in NFL history.
Hester is one of three former Bears players, also including Steve McMichael and Julius Peppers, being enshrined into the Hall of Fame this year. Chicago is slated to face the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 1.